The former CEO of Greenlife Solar LLC. has been charged with stealing more than $485,000 from a private school, a church and a homeowner between December 2015 and June of 2016, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Officials say Christopher Tzokas, 48, of Toms River, is charged with one count of second degree Theft by Deception and two counts of third degree Theft by Deception. Tzokas faces up to 10 years in New Jersey state prison on the second degree charge, with up to five years without parole and fines of up to $150,000. He also faces an additional five years on each third degree charge with up to 2.5 years without parole and up to $15,000 in fines.
An investigation began in June of 2017 after the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office received a call alerting that Tzokas committed a theft against a school in the amount of $408,331.00. Further investigation later determined that there were two additional victims, a church, for approximately $43,493.00 and a home owner, in the amount of $33,468.75.
The investigation determined that Tzokas would typically begin the solar installation process after receiving initial payments. He would then stop appearing at the job site and become inaccessible and unresponsive to the clients. Tzokas never continued any work and fraudulently spent the payments for his own personal use.
Authorities charged Tzokas with these crimes on Feb. 1st and was arrested by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office with the assistance of the Toms River Police Department.
Anyone who has information to assist the investigative team is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Stephen Borchard at 800-533-7443.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.